The Roundabout Debate
The County government of Nairobi and the Central government have linked up in an initiative to reduce the impact that traffic jams have on our economy. One highly debated decision is getting rid of roundabout and replacing them with signal junctions. Up Nairobi decided to ask around Peponi Villas and see what opinions the amazing staff at the various offices here held about Kidero’s ambitious plan.
Karan Khalsa- Eat Out Chief Designer
I agree that the roundabouts need to be discarded because in fact, they are confusing. However, this initiative is taking a snail-pace since they started talking about it. The junctions will make it much easier to get to one place thus will ease traffic. They have been more of a hazard as they harbor pick-pockets as well as gangsters. So getting rid of them will also enhance safety on our roads.
Ngugi Muthoni- Media Relations at SHK Consultants
Instead of curbing roundabouts, they should focus on other strategies like decentralizing Nairobi. This entails the moving of some of the government offices away from the city centre to the outskirts of Nairobi. They should also look into the idea of preventing the Public Service Vehicles from coming to the Central Business District and come up with vehicles that can only serve the CBD. It’s all about putting systems in the right places and not only focusing on getting rid of the roundabouts.
Hiyabel Tewoldemedhin- General Manager at Eat-out
If it entails replacing the roundabouts with junctions, then that will definitely not work. A good example is Yaya area, which is still congested. I once lived in Chicago where people follow laws unlike in Kenya and so traffic flows. I must say that roundabouts actually do give way and can only be jammed if people disobey traffic lights.
Sharon Kinyanjui- Administrative Assistant at Sauti Sol Entertainment
I do agree with the initiative of getting rid of the roundabouts like what they did at Yaya area. However, they should also look into other ways of decongesting Nairobi by continuing to expand the roads, especially on Ngong’ road, where I think there is a lot of wasted space. The government should also get rid of hawkers because there is even no space to walk on in town. All in all, I guess they are doing a good job so far.
Chandni Shah- Events manager, SHK Consulting
The idea of junctions just won’t work. They tried it along Riverside Drive but there will always be traffic as long as the police are not present.
Shreya Karia; Proprietor SHK Consulting
Getting rid of roundabouts is not the only solution to decongesting Nairobi. The problem is that there are more cars being registered exponentially thus questioning the city’s capacity to have them all. The idea of junctions is just crossroads, which are quite dangerous for pedestrians while crossing; junctions also need traffic lights to ease traffic. How they are going to reduce the number of cars is much more important as well as keeping off lorries and trailers from the small roads. They should also coordinate the PSV industry well enough for all these to succeed.
How do you feel about the plan? Is Kidero putting a band aid over a sword wound? Are PSVs just not worth the hassle? Should Nairobi move to a train based commuter system as Kidero had envisioned? Or should the CBD stop being so central and expand outwards? Give us your opinions in the comment section below.
